Former Gophers women's basketball standout Destiny Pitts signs with Texas A&M

The U's leading scorer quit the team in mid-January after being suspended.

May 3, 2020 at 10:55PM
In this Nov. 23, 2019, photo, Minnesota guard Destiny Pitts (3) lookesto pass the ball as Montana State guard Darian White (2) defends during an NCAA college basketball game in Minneapolis. Pitts said Thursday, Jan. 16, she is transferring after the Gophers suspended her for unspecified “conduct unbecoming a member of the team.” (Anthony Souffle/Star Tribune via AP) ORG XMIT: MER49bd42e2643ec8d87963c54dac383
Destiny Pitts, who quit the Gophers women's basketball team in January, is joining a Texas A&M program that has been to three Final Fours since 2008, winning the national championship in 2011. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Former Gophers guard Destiny Pitts signed with Texas A&M on Saturday, Aggies women's basketball coach Gary Blair announced.

Pitts spent her first three seasons at Minnesota, where she earned first team All-Big Ten honors as a sophomore and was the consensus Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2017-18.

But after 15 games this past season she was suspended by Gophers coach Lindsay Whalen.

A few days later, on Jan. 16, Pitts said she was going to transfer and released a statement. "Last Friday," she wrote, "I was informed that I was suspended indefinitely for my 'body language' during the Northwestern game. As this was my first discipline situation of my career at Minnesota [or as a basketball player at any level], I was blindsided and shocked by the suspension."

The 5-10 Pitts is rated as the second-best transfer player by ESPN.com. She averaged a team-high 16.3 points, plus 4.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game, while shooting 46% on three-pointers this past season. As a sophomore she also averaged 16.3 points per game and made 81 three-pointers.

Blair, her new head coach, was excited about Pitts' signing. "Destiny [Pitts] is going to offer us a lot," he said. "She is such a great three-point shooter and has proven that in her last two and a half years at Minnesota.

"This is a kid that has played multiple positions from the two to the four, depending on what technique or scheme they were running. At 5-10 her versatility is what is really going to help us because she gives us the flexibility to move people around.

"We fell in love with her when we were watching film on her, and then when she came here on her official visit she fit in with our kids like a glove."

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Although Pitts has only one year of college eligibility left, Blair expects her to become a pro player: "I am sure when she is done at A&M that we will see her playing at the next level because of her scoring ability from the outside."

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